Firearm



Nov. 2 1926.

L- A. STEINKOENIG FIREARM Filed May 23. 1925 I Q Louis (Sfeipfioery'g v v Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITED sTArss means Parent caries.

LOUIS A. S'IIElINKOENIGr OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

FIREARM.

Application filed May 23, 1925 Serial No.'32,315.

This invention relates to improvements in firearms and especially in pistols such as are used in marksmanship contests and target work wherein accuracy of the firearm is essential.

An object of my invention is to provide a firearm for the purpose stated wherein the handle, barrel, and sights are rigid and are not subject to change of position between shots.

Another object is to provide a firearm for the purposes stated which is breech loading and which may be cleaned from the breech.

Another object is to provide an arm embodying the above noted advantages which has a strong and simple breech block for efi'ecting opening and closing of the cartridge chamber.

Another object is to provide an arm of the type referred to wherein the hammer action is light, quick acting and in axial alignment with the barrel so that a marks mans aim and hold is undisturbed by movement of the parts when firing.

These and other objects and advantages are attained by the means described herein and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmental plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. t is a cross sectional view taken on line 1- 1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, parts being broken away.

Fig. 6 is a side view of a breech block forming a detail of my invention.

7 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

It has been found that accuracy in pistol shooting is dependent upon uniform positioning of the handle or grip and the-barrel and sight of a pistol. Many of the early and dueling type pistols have been found very accurate for the reason that the barrel, frame and handle grip were rigid and subject to no movement whatever. These pistols however were of the muzzle loading type and were therefore slow and laborious to reload and the powder charge was fre quently varied due to inaccuracy in measuring. These pistols therefore went into disuse and were replaced by numerous types of breech loading pistols which have been found more or less unsatisfactory by reason of the fact that there was some relative movement of the barrel and grip each time the pistol was reloaded and as the loading or locking part became somewhat worn, the relation of these parts would vary. The cylinder type revolver is open to the disadvantage of slight variation in the alignment of the chambers in the cylinder and the barrel. In the pistol of my invention I have provided a structure wherein the advantages as to rigidity of barrel and grip are combined with a strong and simple breech loading mechanism which carries substantially all of the moving parts other than the trigger. The pistol of my invention comprises a barrel 10 rigidly mounted upon a frame 11 which is provided at its top with a longitudinal groove 12. The breech end 13 of the barrel is spaced from a perpendicular shoulder 14 on the frame so that a breech or opening having perpendicular and parallel walls 18 and 1 1 provides ready access to the cartridge chamber 15 in the breech end of the barrel. The bottom wall 16 of the longitudinal groove 12 in the frame 11 affords ready access to the breech end of the barrel for cleaning and loading purposes. The groove 12 and the breech together form a substantially T'shaped opening at the rear end of the pistol and in this opening a breech block .17, see Fig. 6, is adapted to be seated for forming a closure for the cartridge chamber 15. The breech block 17 comprises a substantially rectangular portion 18 provided with cylindrical lugs 19 and 20 which project beyond the i longitudinal sides 21 and 22 of the barrel and frame. A narrow stem 23 of the breech block 17 is adapted to seat and form a closure for the groove 12 and has its side walls and bottom curved and tapered to conform to the side walls and bottom of the groove 12. The frame 11 is provided on its one side with a pair of aligned perforate lugs 24 and the lug 19 is adapted to seat between them. A pintle 25 extends through the lugs 19 and 2 1- so that the breech block 17 may be swung about the pintle 25 to move said block into and out of the breech and the groove 12. The lug 20 on the breech block 17 is provided with a spring projected pin 26, the end 27 of which normally projects beyond the forward end of the lug 20 and enters a bore 28 in lug 29 on the frame 11. By means of this structure the breech block is automatically locked in its closed position because the pin 26 will have its end 27 projected into the bore 28 of the lug 29. A second pin 30 serves to push the end 27 clear of the lug 29 for unlocking the breech block. From the foregoing it will be noted that the breech block mechanism is very simple and compact and is adapted to be swung laterally out of the breech and longitudinal groove 12 in the frame.

The frame 11 is also provided with anarrow slot 31 in which a trigger 32 is pivotally mounted at 33. The trigger 32 is yieldingly retained in a forward position by any suitable means such as a spring 34 seated in a suitable recess 350 in the frame.

As will be noted in Fig. 3, all of the other moving parts and mechanisms of the pistol are contained within the pivotally mounted breech block 17. This breech block is provided with a longitudinal bore 35 in which a combined hammer and firing pin 36 is reciprocally mounted. The rear end of the breech block 17has a slot 37 milled axially through the bore 35. The slot 37 is milled on diametrically opposite sides of the bore 35 so that a way 38 is provided below the bore 35.. The reciprocating pin 36 comprises a hammer 39 having a fin 40 at the top portion thereof and a lug 41 at the bottom there of. The fin 40 and lug 41 reciprocate in the slot 37 and way 38 so that the hammer'piece 36 is retained against rotatory motion. A pointed firing pin 42 has a shoulder 43 adjacent thereto and this shoulder forms an abutment for a strong compression spring 44 which serves to actuate the hammer and firing pin. A slot 45 in the hammer member 36 is adapted to have a pin 46 extend therethrough and the ends of this pin are seated in suitable bores in the breech block 17. A cocking piece 47 is pivotally mounted upon the breechblock 17 and is provided with a downwardly projecting finger 48 which moves through the way 37. The cooking piece 47 is yieldingly retained in the forward position shown in Fig. 3 by means of a suitable spring 480 held by a pin 49 in an enlarged longitudinal opening 50 in the slot 37. The end 51 of the cocking piece 47 may be raised whereupon the finger 48 will move about its pivotal mounting to engage the fin 40 of the hammer piece 36 for moving said piece rearwardly in the bore 35 against the pressure of spring 44. A sear 52 is pivotaly mounted at 53 and is provided with a shoulder 54 against which the lug 41 may engage for retaining the hammer piece 36 in its rearward position against the compression of the spring 44. A fiat leaf spring 55 yieldingly retains the shoulder 54 of the sear 52 in a raised position so that when the hammer piece 36 is drawn, the lug 41 will ride over the tapered side of the sear 52 until it reaches the shoulder 54 whereupon spring 55 will raise the sear to hold the hammer piece 36 in a cocked position as shown in Fig. 3. The trigger 32 carries a lug 56 which is retained in abutment with the oppositc end of the sear 52 by the spring 55. Vhen it is desired to fire the pistol the trigger 32 is pulled and this movement raises the lug 56 which in turn serves to move the sear 52 about its pivotal mounting 53 and to move the shoulder 54 downwardly out of the path of the lug 41 on the hammer piece From the foregoing, as shown in Fig. 3, it will be noted that the movement of the hammer is veryshort and that the hammer release through the sear 52 is light and quick acting and that no movement will be visible to the marksman. As will be noted the cocking piece 47 is always in the lowered position as shown in Fig. 3 and that no movement of the cocking piece occurs during the discharge of the pistol.

A shell ejector 57 is reciprocally mounted in a slot 58 which communicates with the edge of the chamber 15 and forms a complement for the shoulder 59 of the chamber against which the rim of a cartridge seats. An ejector rod 60 extends through the frame and lies adjacent the barrel 10 and is secured to the end 61 of the shell ejector by any suitable means such as a threaded pin 62. The ejector rod 60 may have a projection or button such as 63 on the end thereof for effecting ready movement of the ejector 57. A suitable coil spring such as 64 normally retains the shell ejector and ejector rod in a forward position. This ejecting mechanism is very simple in structure and is effective because it moves the shell or cartridge entirely clear of the chamber 15. The operation of this firearm is simple. When itis desired to load the pistol, the pin 30 of the breech lock is pressed so that the end 27 of. the locking pin 26 moves out of the bore 28 in the lug 29. The T-shaped breech block is then moved about its pivotal mounting on the pin 25 so that the entire rear end of the barrel 10 is accessible. A cartridge may then be readily inserted in the chamber 15 whereupon the breech block 17 is again swung into the position for closing the breech whereupon the spring projected pin 26 automatically locks the breech block in position. To cook the pistol, the end 51 of the against the yielding resistance of the flat spring 55 until the lug 41 moves beyond the shoulder 54 on the sear. The spring 55 then raises the shoulder 54 of the sear into the path of the lug 41 and the hammer remains in a cocked position. Upon releasing the cocking piece 47, the spring 480 again returns the end 51 thereof to its normal position and the cooking piece remains in this position until it is again desired to cook the pistol. The pistol having been loaded, the

reech block replaced and locked in position and the hammer cooked, the pistol is ready to fire. The movement of the trigger releases the hammer as previously explained and the firing pin strikes the primer of the cartridge as is well understood. To remove a shell or a cartridge the breech block is opened by depressing the pin 30 and swinging the breech block about the pin 25 as previously explained whereupon the button 63 is pushed rearwardly against the action of spring 64 whereupon the ejector 57 projects rearwardly into the breech and carries with it the cartridge or shell.

The breech block being of very compact and solid structure and seating between the parallel walls 13 and 14 of the barrel and frame respectively, provides a strong and yet very simple and safe structure. The sights 65 and 66 may be of any desired type, the sight 65 being adjustable for elevation and windage, if so desired. From the foregoing it will be noted that norelative movement of the barrel, sights, frame or the handle grip 67 can take place at any time. It should also be noted that no movement of the firing mechanism Will be visible to the marksman and that the movement of the hammer and firing pin occurs in axial alignment With the bore in the barrel so that the marksmans aim and hold is in no Wise disturbed.

The structure just described is adaptable to use in rifles and other firearms as well as in pistols and requires no substantial modification for such adaptation.

What I claim is:

1. In a firearm structure the combination with a frame, of a barrel having a cartridge chamber at one end thereof rigidly mounted upon the frame, a shoulder on the frame spaced from the chambered end of the barrel a longitudinal groove in the frame extending through the shoulder whereby a T-shaped breech is provided between the chambered end of the barrel and the frame, a breech block hingedly mounted at the side of the frame and adapted to be moved about its pivotal mounting for opening and closing the breech, a hammer mechanism contained with the breech block, lever means for cooking the hammer mechanism mounted at the top of the breech block, a sear carried by the breech block, and a trigger carried by the frame for moving the sear.

2. A breech block for a firearm comprising a T-shaped body having a longitudinal bore therein and slots communicating with the bore, of a hammer reciprocally mounted in the bore, a fin and a lug on the hammer extending into the slots communicating with the bore, a compression spring encircling the hammer and normally retaining said hammer in a projected position, the cooking piece comprising a pivotally mounted lever and a finger adapted to move the hammer piece in the bore against the action of the spring, and a sear in the path of the lug, movement of the sear serving to remove the shoulder from the path of the lug for releasing the hammer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of May, 1925.

LOUIS A. STEINKOENIG. 

